//------------------------------// // University // Story: Mass Effect: Element of Kindness // by CommanderApplejack //------------------------------// Chapter 171 University Stay on the Citadel with Twilight. 52% "I think I'll stick around here for a while, I'm sure Twilight won't mind having me around," Fluttershy decided relatively quickly, leaving the unicorn pretty much on her own without any close friends was probably a terrible idea. "I-It's your house I'm staying in after all," Twilight stammered as she hadn't expected that from Fluttershy. "Oh, don't be like that. I'm sure you and Fluttershy will get to experience a lot more of this fantastic place," Rarity said, sipping from the glass of wine she had gotten with the meal. "Yer way too much in love with this place, Rares," Applejack chuckled. "Ain't no place for me, Ah'd take mah farm any day." "And I wouldn't expect anything less from you, darling," Rarity replied with a chuckle of her own. The four of them got into some more casual conversation as they ate up the rest of their meals. Afterwards, Fluttershy dropped off Twilight at the apartment and ferried Rarity and Applejack to the Presidium to the pony embassy. They'd be returning to the titan for the next part of their journey in a few hours and needed someplace to get some sleep. Twilight was cleaning off the apartment with her magic as Fluttershy got back to her place. "So, when do you have to go to the university?" "I'd say in the morning but 'mornings' don't really happen here, do they?" Twilight answered, making Fluttershy chuckle. "No, not really... What time were you given?" Twilight levitated over her tablet to Fluttershy to show the message from the school with times to appear. "Hmm, that should give you almost a day before you have to get there," Fluttershy said as she checked the time on her omni-tool. "Right, thanks... so what are you going to do around here?" Twilight asked, sitting down at the dinner table, one of the things in the apartment that had been adapted to pony physiology. "Honestly, I don't know," Fluttershy answered with a shrug, getting a glass of water and offering one to Twilight too. "I'll probably be doing practice with my shooting and other things, the reapers can't be long away and I want to be razor-sharp when they finally arrive." Twilight nodded, sighed, and muttered. "How did we get to this point..." "What point?" Fluttershy asked curiously. "All of this," she sighed, "How we went from being happy on our planet to being thrust into the galaxy. You becoming this... badflank of a pony! You, who was afraid of her own shadow!... My falling out with Princess Celestia..." Fluttershy wrapped a wing around the unicorn's back. "Not all of it is something I'd wish on others, Twilight. We were dealt a hand of cards and now we're going to have to play with them." Twilight leaned against her pegasus friend and sighed deeply again. "I just don't know what me going to learn physics is going to help..." "If you get a good grasp on it you may be able to find ways to improve technology vitally needed against the reapers. I've seen how many ships just one of those things could take out, we're going to need all the advantages we can get... and besides, you may actually be able to make headway on indoctrination," Fluttershy nudged Twilight on the shoulder and smirked. "And I could give you some lessons so you can at least handle yourself, I started here on the Citadel too and know a good place to learn." "Maybe I will..." Twilight yawned, "But for now I think I should get some sleep." "Of course, I'll go check up on the apartment's ventilation systems and such. The filters probably need to be replaced." Fluttershy stood up to go check up on the places she needed to. "I'll join you in bed in about an hour, sleep well Twilight." Fluttershy checked the straps on her armour as she got ready to go out. Getting permits to keep her weaponry now she didn't have Shepard or Garrus around was a little harder but having herself assigned to the embassy security team circumvented a lot of the regulations for her high powered weapons. Not that the diplomats there really needed her with C-Sec's presence around the Citadel but it removed a headache for her. The news feeds still occasionally showed reports of the Vindica but with them being in Turian space not as much video was being released as on that first day. After Twilight had gone to bed Fluttershy had checked in on those and found them all to be covering the event of the newly arrived warship. Twilight had been settling in at the university in the meanwhile, diving deep into her studies over the last two weeks. The unicorn's work was even bleeding into the apartment with notes covering the dinner table which meant their food breaks were usually moved to the smaller coffee table and ate on the couch. Today though Fluttershy was going to pick up Twilight at the university for some more physical activities. Weapons, check, armour, check, thermal clips, check... well, that should do it. Happy about everything she had with her Fluttershy pulled up her hood, strapped on her bag, and made for the university, as she arrived there Twilight was nowhere to be seen. Making an educated guess, Fluttershy assumed she was still inside and forgot the time. Walking in, the pegasus looked for signs towards the lecture hall she knew Twilight had her lesson in. Fluttershy memorised Twilights schedule to the minute the day the unicorn had gotten it, not that Twilight knew that of course but if something happened then Fluttershy knew where she had to go to find her friend. "Hey, who are you?" Fluttershy stopped and looked back, an asari in the schools dress walking towards her. "Just someone looking for a friend," Shy answered. "Twilight Sparkle?" she guessed. "That's her," Shy nodded. "You know where I can find her?" "She should still be in the lecture hall, she always stays to ask the professor questions," the asari answered and motioning for Fluttershy to follow her. "I'm Aranyo D'riasus by the way." "Fluttershy," Shy curtly answered as they got the the lecture hall, Twilight levitating a bunch of notes around her for the professor. "Miss Sparkle, your observations are interesting, and quite correct, but these subjects will be covered in the next lecture," The professor told Twilight who looked sad that she hadn't gotten her answer. "Twilight!" the asari called out, getting the pair's attention. "Fluttershy! Oh no, I forgot the time!" Twilight exclaimed, all her papers flying into her bag as she ran over to her friend. Fluttershy noticed a silent nod of thanks from the professor to the other student. "We're not too late are we?" "Not yet, but we should hurry a bit," Fluttershy smiled, giving a nod to the student and professor as they went to drop Twilight's stuff into her locker before heading out to get a taxi. "So, what did you have planned?" Twilight asked, making Fluttershy smirk,move aside her cloak, and open her bag, to reveal the weapons she'd stashed in there. "I'm going to teach you to shoot... and you're going to pick out with which one of these you're going to learn to do it with." 1. Assault Rifle - Phaeston 2. Shotgun - N7 Crusader 3. Sniper - M-97 Viper 4. Pistol - M-6 Carnifex 5. SMG - M12 Locust [Vote link]